The problems of disposing of the large amounts of various wastes generated by technological societies need not be elaborated on in great detail herein. They range from the relatively simple problem of lack of space for waste disposal, resulting from the depletion of existing landfill sites, to the more serious problems of disposing of highly toxic organic wastes.
In the past, incineration has provided an inexpensive method of disposing of many types of wates; however, due to perceived environmental problems, laws may exist that either prohibit incineration or require that expensive capital investment be made in air scrubbing equipment or the like to provide environmentally acceptable emissions. The need continues for more effective waste disposal methods, particularly for disposing of the most hazardous of toxid organic wastes.